DOCUMENTARY ON AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS
SHOWING AT PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL

'Stop Killing Taxi Drivers' Tells Moving Story of August 2001 Demonstration

(PHILADELPHIA, PA -- March 25, 2002) Philadelphia is home to over 50,000 African immigrants and a locally produced documentary, 'Stop Killing Taxi Drivers' tells a moving story of African taxi drivers pleading for protection in response to the murder of a fellow driver. 'Stop Killing Taxi Drivers,' produced by local filmmaker Filmon Mebrahtu with funding from Reel Voices, will be shown at the Festival of Independents, part of the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema. The documentary is part of a 1-hour collection of shorts entitled “Distant Cultures”, showing at 5 pm on April 10, 2002 at the International House, 3701 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia.

'Stop Killing Taxi Drivers' is a 7-minute documentary that captures the drivers' sadness, frustration, and anger as they appeal to the City of Philadelphia for protection. A majority of the drivers work long hours to support their families here and in their home countries. Taxi driving is one of the most dangerous occupations, and Philadelphia is no exception. During the early hours of Tuesday July 31, 2001, Mamadou Gackou, a Senegalese immigrant driver, was shot dead in an apparent robbery. Two passengers in South Philadelphia killed Gackou from behind, at point blank range. Unfortunately, a majority of taxi homicides remain unsolved, and to this day, Gackou’s killers have not been arrested. On August 2nd, frustrated and feeling vulnerable to continued attacks, the Philadelphia Taxi Association organized a demonstration of over 1,000 cab drivers from many countries, united in conveying a single message: 'Stop Killing Taxi Drivers'.

One of the objectives of 'Stop Killing Taxi Drivers' is to raise awareness about taxi driver safety. An OSHA report on Taxi safety issued in 2000 recommends installing cameras in taxicabs to deter driver assaults. A cab company in Perth, Australia reported a 60% reduction in attacks on drivers within one year after introduction of cameras. In Houston, a man holding a gun, captured by Yellow Cab’s SnapShot Camera, was issued a prison sentence of 30 years for each robbery conviction. To-date, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has still not officially approved taxi cameras.

About the Filmmaker
Filmon Mebrahtu hails from the East African country of Eritrea and produces documentaries with one goal in mind: to capture the stories of immigrant communities and document their diverse cultural experiences. Too often, stories of these communities are told and retold by outsiders and their depiction is at the mercy of the content producers, whose goals and ambitions may be divergent from the immigrant communities themselves. The impact of their stories becomes more powerful if these communities participate in the creation of media, which is Mebrahtu's approach. 'Stop Killing Taxi Drivers' has been acquired by a Philadelphia Public TV Station WYBE for its Philadelphia Stories II series and is featured in an interactive exhibit at the Balch Institute of Ethnic Studies, “Extended Lives: The African Immigrant Experience in Philadelphia,” along with Mebrahtu's earlier works on African immigrant experiences in Philadelphia - “eritrea - it's where we're from,” “ana sudani ana,” and “African Worship Services.”

About Reel Voices
Reel Voices, Inc., is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and leverage the use of the creative arts to express and document diverse cultural experiences. Reel Voices has produced documentaries on African immigrants in Philadelphia and provides technical assistance to community organizations wishing to use video to express their indigenous experiences. Reel Voices also provides technical support for creating multimedia content, and offers low-cost video production and post-production workshops to community organizations.
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